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The veteran coach’s attempts failed
In a tragic scene rarely seen in French football, 73-year-old Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodzic collapsed in front of the cameras after historic Nantes were relegated to the second division after a brutal 1-0 loss to Lens in Ligue 33 on Friday night.
Just 15 seconds…then silence
In an exclusive scene, Halilhodzic cut his press conference short to just about 15 seconds before leaving the hall unable to finish his speech, saying in a trembling voice:
Completion of 13 years in the top group
The defeat ended the Canaries’ run of 13 consecutive seasons in the Premier League, having been in the relegation zone since round 14 and in direct relegation from round 21, making relegation seem inevitable despite all rescue attempts.
Last Sunday’s 3-0 win over Marseille only served to provide a temporary truce for a team that quickly crumbled against the harsh reality imposed by a series of disastrous decisions throughout the season.
One last adventure that ends in failure
Halilhodzic came out of retirement last March to embark on a final rescue adventure, but the mission was beyond the capabilities of the veteran coach, who previously managed Algeria, Japan and Morocco.
His appointment came after the dismal failure of Portuguese coach Luis Castro, who left after just 15 games, and then Ahmed Kantari, who lacked the necessary experience despite his knowledge of the squad as he suffered eight defeats in just ten games.
